I'm sure I'll get ripped, but it's still the same old Timberwolves.
This team needed a half court prayer do drop AND 2 blown calls to not be 1-3, despite a pretty soft schedule so far.
This team has no business losing to Indiana with where they want us to believe they are in the process.
And I'm still not a believer in Wiggins. Maybe he's still got a lot of room for growth, I hope so, he needs to get a lot better.

I'm sure I'll get ripped, but it's still the same old Timberwolves.
This team needed a half court prayer do drop AND 2 blown calls to not be 1-3, despite a pretty soft schedule so far.
This team has no business losing to Indiana with where they want us to believe they are in the process.
And I'm still not a believer in Wiggins. Maybe he's still got a lot of room for growth, I hope so, he needs to get a lot better.

I sure won't rip you for any of that. Wiggins, great as he was in the first three games, has a lot of maturing to do. Teague is not a very good basketball player, as far as I can tell. Soooooo many open shots for the opposing offense while the Wolves don't even move their feet on the other end. Gotta be better than that.

He was not perfect for this team, come on. Rubio had plenty of flaws too. And, these are the same issues we had last year, with Rubio, same issues.

That said, when they moved Rubio, I assumed it would be for an actual improvement. They must have thought they could get better and panicked when they couldn't, because this Teague dude doesn't look like a good player to me.

Word. I was thinking about it last nigh, man. How does this team GIVE AWAY one of the best defensive PGs in the league like that? What would you give up to bring him back?

For how much Thibs is known for defense, I don't get his need to have a scoring point guard. Rubio was seemingly on the block the moment Thibs came in. This team doesn't need a pg who is looking to score.

I'd love to have that trade back. It sure doesn't feel the same without Ricky leading the team.

Are the POBO and the coach on the same page? POBO signs Dieng to a big contract, then coach buries him. Also, and I don’t know much about basketball, but isn’t defense in basketball something that a coach can influence through schemes, knowledge and effort? Maybe the POBO needs to get a coach who can make more impact on defense.

He was not perfect for this team, come on. Rubio had plenty of flaws too. And, these are the same issues we had last year, with Rubio, same issues.

That said, when they moved Rubio, I assumed it would be for an actual improvement. They must have thought they could get better and panicked when they couldn't, because this Teague dude doesn't look like a good player to me.

The problem with Rubio is that he was another ball dominant player even though he didn't actually take the final shot. Teague was a slight improvement there but not much. And this is the overall problem throughout the lineup. Only Dieng/Gibson don't require the ball to be effective. KAT does pretty well without but he should have it the most though.

The perfect player would have been Patrick Beverly. Last year Houston put Harden at the point guard and Beverly was literally a 3 and D guy only. Butler/Wiggins could kind of fill that same role to an extent.

Is 20162017 2018 the year that a good pitching prospect is truly blocked by 5 good pitchers in the starting rotation?

Offseason (noun) - a time to propose trades assuming opposing GM's can't do the same basic analysis

At least when Ricky was ball-dominant, the offense had some sort of direction. This year's team has no idea how to play together yet. Obviously they need time to gel, so I'm trying not to overreact. I just miss Ricky.

At least when Ricky was ball-dominant, the offense had some sort of direction. This year's team has no idea how to play together yet. Obviously they need time to gel, so I'm trying not to overreact. I just miss Ricky.

I think I was the biggest Rubio defender on the board so I would agree. This is an example of the grass not always being greener. And this is the situation where the Wolves got a legit average PG (some might disagree) to replace him. There were numerous times when people just wanted him gone and didn't care who replaced him.

bluechipper likes this

Is 20162017 2018 the year that a good pitching prospect is truly blocked by 5 good pitchers in the starting rotation?

Offseason (noun) - a time to propose trades assuming opposing GM's can't do the same basic analysis

I think I was the biggest Rubio defender on the board so I would agree. This is an example of the grass not always being greener. And this is the situation where the Wolves got a legit average PG (some might disagree) to replace him. There were numerous times when people just wanted him gone and didn't care who replaced him.

Admittedly, I don't follow basketball near as close as the other big 3 sports, so maybe you are right about Teague and he's just had a rough start. Because what I've seen so far from him has been awful.
Then again, the NBA has a really shallow talent pool, relatively speaking, when a guy like Wiggins- good but completely one dimensional, and nowhere need elite, is a max contract guy.

Admittedly, I don't follow basketball near as close as the other big 3 sports, so maybe you are right about Teague and he's just had a rough start. Because what I've seen so far from him has been awful.
Then again, the NBA has a really shallow talent pool, relatively speaking, when a guy like Wiggins- good but completely one dimensional, and nowhere need elite, is a max contract guy.

I think your 1st and 2nd paragraphs are related. Teague might look awful because the fall off from a good PG happens fast. After look at all of the negative comments about Rubio over the years. Teague and Rubio are probably average PG and there are some teams which have some truly awful PG's that are starting.

Is 20162017 2018 the year that a good pitching prospect is truly blocked by 5 good pitchers in the starting rotation?

Offseason (noun) - a time to propose trades assuming opposing GM's can't do the same basic analysis

Rubio is not an average PG. He's not on par with the best of the best, but his defense alone puts him closer to them than the alternative. His vision, passing, and defense would look really, really good on this team. He can't shoot, I get it. Plenty of guys on the Wolves are willing to shoot the ball all night.

Rubio is not an average PG. He's not on par with the best of the best, but his defense alone puts him closer to them than the alternative. His vision, passing, and defense would look really, really good on this team. He can't shoot, I get it. Plenty of guys on the Wolves are willing to shoot the ball all night.

But if you based your opinion of him on Internet comments you would think he was one of the worst ever. Rubio isn't better than the 10th best (probably) and Teague probably isn't worse than the 15th.

Is 20162017 2018 the year that a good pitching prospect is truly blocked by 5 good pitchers in the starting rotation?

Offseason (noun) - a time to propose trades assuming opposing GM's can't do the same basic analysis

I think I was the biggest Rubio defender on the board so I would agree. This is an example of the grass not always being greener. And this is the situation where the Wolves got a legit average PG (some might disagree) to replace him. There were numerous times when people just wanted him gone and didn't care who replaced him.

I believe I'm the biggest Rubio defender, but I got it. If the big offseason splash were bringing back Kevin Love, you keep Ricky Rubio around. When you're bringing in a ball dominant 3 like Jimmy Butler though, you need a three and D point guard. The problem with Teague is that he's a little more 3 and not that much D.